In order to climb or maneuver rock or other formations, climbers, mountaineers and other sports enthusiasts sometimes engage the back of the heel of one of their shoes with a rock, ledge or other surface in order to climb. This maneuver is sometimes referred to in sports as “heeling.” FIG. 1 depicts a close-up view of the back of the heel 2 of a climber's 3 shoe 1 engaging a rock surface 4 in a heeling maneuver. The heeling maneuver creates a force against the back of the heel 2 that tends to urge the shoe 1 off of the climber's 3 foot. Partial dislodging, or complete removal, of the shoe can substantially endanger the climber's safety. Some way is needed to better secure a shoe to a climber's foot to minimize dislodgement of the climber's shoe(s) as a result of heeling maneuvers.
When walking, a walker may experience what is sometimes referred to in the shoe industry as “heel lift.” Heel lift is the slight slipping of the heel of a shoe away from the foot of the wearer. When walking, as the wearer's foot pivots from the heel of the foot to the ball of the foot, the wearer's shoe may slightly slip down on the heel of the wearer. When the wearer's heel next contacts the surface on which the wearer is walking, the heel of the shoe is urged back onto the foot. Heel lift causes blisters. Heel lift is often more prominent in stiff-soled shoes, such as hiking and climbing shoes. Some way is needed to better secure a shoe to a walker's foot to minimize heel lift.